The Story Continues to Spread Virally...

Pluto Press: The unimaginable: My night of violence at the hands of the Belgian police

http://plutopress.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/the-unimaginable-my-night-of-violence-at-the-hands-of-the-belgian-police/

Pluto author arrested and tortured in Belgium

http://plutopress.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/pluto-author-arrested-and-tortured-in-belgium/

Iindymedia.us The Unimaginable: My Night of Violence at the Hands of the Belgian Police
Marianne Maeckelbergh, assistant professor at Leiden University went through .... Marianne Maeckelbergh is anthropologist, Leiden University, author of The Will of the Many...
http://indymedia.us/en/2010/10/43630.shtml

Donate to Support the Arrestees!

Financial contributions can be given at lokaal Arcata or can be transferred to account number 000 - 3244460-04. The IBAN is BE10000324446004
And the BIC BPOTBEB1 (Bank Van De Post.

4 Remaining Prisoners Released, Now for Legal Battle

On Friday, October 22nd, the last four prisoners were released.  Now we need to focus on raising money to defend the arrestees against criminal charges and to sue the pants off the cops for their abusive and repressive behavior.  In the next few days we'll be posting details on where you can contribute funds to support the legal effort and ideas on how you can help fundraise to support this battle against police brutality and the repression of activists and academics.

World Council of Anthropological Associations Protests Maltreatment of Marianne Maekelbergh

The World Council of Anthropological Associations has expressed concern at the maltreatment of Dr. Marianne Maeckelbergh by Belgian police. 

De Wereld Morgen: Demonstration as a result of the police violence during the No Border Camp (Translated)

Anja Hermans

 

 The blog of Anja Hermans

Demonstration as a result of the police violence during the No Border Camp.

(Original Dutch here - thanks to Ann Bynens for another wonderful translation!)

Today, October 16th 2010 a demonstration was held at the Hallepoort in Brussels as a result of the police violence during the Border Camp.

The demonstration in which about 700 people participated, was peaceful, (read: today the police did not beat up any activists) but with a clear message: the police violence from September 25th until October 2nd is intolerable! Hundreds of arrested people were being mistreated (physically and mentally) and/or sexually intimidated,...

Die Tageszeitung jungeWelt Article --- Now with Improved Translation!

Big thanks to Jennifer Chong for translating this article from German!

Original German at http://www.jungewelt.de/2010/10-13/032.php

 Die Tageszeitung jungeWelt

10/13/2010 / Anti-fascism / Page 15

Police harrass protesters against racism in Belgium

Four activists still imprisoned a week after the end of the Brussels “No Border” camps

Letter from Mission Free Iran Coordinator to Secretariat of Belgian Ambassador in the UK

Ann Willems
Katja Wauters
Ambassador's Secretariat
H.E. Ambassador Johan Verbeke

Dear Ms. Willems and Ms. Wauters,

It has come to my attention that Marianne Maeckelbergh (US citizen and  professor at the University of Leiden, Netherlands) was arrested for taking pictures while police were making violent arrests in Brussels, Belgium during last a protest Friday. Not only was she arrested, but she reports that "she was violently dragged by her hair, chained to a radiator, hit, kicked, spat upon, called a whore, and threatened with  sexual assault by the police. She also witnessed the torture of another prisoner also chained to a radiator."

Letter from Head of School of Law at University of Leicester to UK Belgian Ambassador

Professor Minkkinen informs us that he has not to date received a reply from the embassy.

 H.E. Ambassador Johan Verbeke
 Belgian Ambassador to London,
Grosvenor Crescent, 17
SW1X 7EE London
United Kingdom

Sir,

 I am shocked about news concerning the treatment of fellow academic Prof  Marianne Maeckelbergh at the No Border Camp in Brussels on 1st October and  about the police brutality that she has witnessed. I would expect no less of the government of Belgium than to release immediately all those who  remain in custody and to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation  of what has happened to see to it that those responsible will be brought to justice.

Iltalehti.fi : Police beat up demonstrators in Belgium

Original Finnish at http://blogit.iltalehti.fi/dan-koivulaakso/2010/10/12/poliisi-pahoinpiteli-mielenosoittajia-belgiassa/

Here's a VERY rough Google translation --- any Finnish speakers out there who can provide a real translation?

Iltalehti.fi

 

Police beat up demonstrators in Belgium
Written by Dan Koivulaakso

 

Photo: Indymedia BXL

Marianne / Belgium Prisoners is Top Story at Wetlands-Preserve.org

http://wetlands-preserve.org

Direct link to the Belgium Solidarity campaign page at 

http://wetlands-preserve.org/?page=BelgiumIndex

The Story is Going Viral...

University World News: Belgium: Academic arrested and mistreated by police

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20101015200409520
 

Cop Block: Pluto author arrested and tortured in Belgium
http://ko-kr.connect.facebook.com/posted.php?id=281961363188&start=60&hash=d9ce2fd4f6a33d2274b5fee036621798

Network for Academic and Educational Rights Action Alert in Support of Dr. Maeckelbergh

Arrest and mistreatment of US Professor of Anthropology

www.nearinternational.org/alert-detail.asp?alertid=569

A Netherlands-based US professor is accusing Belgian police of abuse during a crackdown on recent protests for migrant rights in Belgium, Red Pepper reported on 6 October 2010.

Dr Marianne Maeckelbergh, Professor in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Leiden, was arrested on 1 October whilst taking pictures of the arrest of activists taking part in the “No Borders” protest camp in Brussels. Dr Maeckelbergh had arrived to Brussels two hours before her arrest and intended to visit the camps over the weekend as part of her ongoing academic research.

Translation of El Impacto.es Article

The article contains one inaccuracy -- Dr. Maeckelbergh was taking pictures of an arrest she observed while at a cafe.  She was not  at the No Border camp.
 

Original Spanish at http://www.elimpulso.es/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=19173&format=html
 

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Brussels: 500+ Activists, Anthropologist Marianne Maeckelbergh arrested, many tortured, 4 still jailed http://belgiumsolidarity.blogspot.com

Recommended Facebook Status:

"Make this your Facebook status: Over 500 activists arrested in Brussels, Belgium during a week of protest against fiscal austerity and xenophobic anti-migration policies. Many premptive arrests and an arrest of a witness photographing arrests (Dr. Marianne Maeckelbergh). Many tortured, 4 still jailed. Join the international solidarity effort. More info: belgiumsolidarity.blogspot.com or belgiumsolidarity@mail.com"

Updated US Action Alert

US Citizen Arrested and Tortured by Belgian Police

Among 500 Arrested in Police Crackdown on Immigrant Rights Gathering

Last Friday, October 1 2010, during the No Border Camp: a convergence of struggles aiming to end the system of borders that divide us all, Marianne Maeckelbergh (US citizen and professor at the University of Leiden, Netherlands), a former Red Pepper worker, current contributor and a long-time global justice activist and the author of The Will of the Many: How the Alterglobalisation Movement Is Changing the Face of Democracy, was arrested for taking pictures while police were making arrests in Brussels, Belgium. 

Democracy Now! Video - US Professor Accuses Belgian Police of Abuse

US Professor Accuses Belgian Police of Abuse

A Holland-based US professor and activist is accusing police in Belgium of abusing her as part of a crackdown on a recent protest for migrant rights. Dr. Marianne Maeckelbergh of Holland's University of Leiden says she was taking pictures of the "No Border Camp" in Brussels when she was arrested. Maeckelbergh says Belgian police dragged her by her hair, chained her to a radiator, kicked her, and subjected her to verbal abuse as well as threats of sexual assault. Video after the break:

Rough Translantion of Mo Article in Dutch -- Police Threatening to Charge Dr. Maeckelbergh with Libel

Police Committee Investigating Police Action

October 12, 2010 (MO) - Police Christian De Coninck, police spokesman Ixelles Brussels Capital, speaks at the news of police violence on October 1. Committee P, commissioned by the Belgian police controls parliament, has launched an investigation. 

Former Red Pepper worker arrested and tortured

(http://www.redpepper.org.uk/Former-Red-Pepper-worker-arrested)


Last Friday, during the No Border Camp: a convergence of struggles aiming to end the system of borders that divide us all, Marianne Maeckelbergh (US citizen and professor at the University of Leiden, Netherlands), a former Red Pepper worker, current contributor and a long-time global justice activist and the author of ‘The Will of the Many: How the Alterglobalisation Movement Is Changing the Face of Democracy’, was arrested for taking pictures while police were making arrests in Brussels, Belgium.

Having just entered Belgium, some two hours earlier, she witnessed violent arrests on the street. When Marianne began taking pictures, she was arrested. She was taken into police custody where she was violently dragged by her hair, chained to a radiator, hit, kicked, spat upon, called a whore, and threatened with sexual assault by the police. She also witnessed the torture of another prisoner also chained to a radiator.